September 6, 2026
Romans 12:2 NLT“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
INFORMATION: The Parable of the Soils
Jesus said in Mark 4:3-9 (NLT) — “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a path, and the birds came and ate it. Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. Still other seed fell on fertile soil, and it produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
Three things about this parable:
1. The Seed Never Changes
- God’s word doesn’t change — same seed, four different outcomes. The soil is simply the condition of your heart at the time the word arrives.
- Jesus said in Mark 4:14 (NLT) — “The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others.”
2. Jesus Identifies the Threat
- In every soil, Jesus names an outside force working against it — the enemy, hardship, worry. Not one of them is a verdict against the soil itself.
- Jesus said in Mark 4:15-19 (NLT) — “The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.”
3. Guarding the Soil Is Stewardship
- Guarding your heart isn’t a one-time fix — it’s ongoing work, the same field tended season after season.
- Solomon wrote in Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) — “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
INSPIRATION: A Field, Not a Label
Your heart isn’t a fixed soil type. It’s a field God is still working on, season after season.
1. It Removes the Shame of Feeling Stuck
- If your heart feels hard right now, that’s a season — not a life sentence.
- The Lord said in Isaiah 43:18-19 (NLT) — “But forget all that — it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”
2. It Removes the False Security of Feeling Fine
- Nobody graduates out of needing to guard their heart — not after one good year, not after twenty.
- Jesus said in John 15:2 (NLT) — “He cuts off every branch that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.”
MOTIVATION: Take an Honest Look
Obstacle 1: “I’m not sure you’ll like what you find if I’m honest about my heart.”
- Naming a soil condition isn’t confessing a defect — you don’t have to stay there, and you don’t have to do it alone.
- David prayed in Psalm 139:23-24 (NLT) — “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”
Obstacle 2: “I have already dealt with that.”
- Guarding your heart isn’t a one-time event — it’s the same field, tended year after year.
- Paul said in Philippians 1:6 (NLT) — “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
TRANSFORMATION: Kingdom Application
THREE CALLS TO ACTION:
- Today — Name an area of your life that isn’t bearing fruit right now. Pray for wisdom on how to plow the soil.
- Daily — Pray Proverbs 4:23 over your own heart each morning: “Guard my heart today, above everything else I’m managing.”
- This month — Share with someone the journey Jesus has you on. Ask them to pray with you.
Following Jesus, Sent On A Mission
The Community
August 23, 2026
Last week we discovered the Key of Proximity — God has positioned you exactly where you are on purpose. Today we’re looking at a key we often overlook because we’re too busy chasing what we want or just trying to handle life on our own.
Matthew 7:7-11 NLT Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”
INFORMATION: The Key of Alignment
Matthew 6:31-33 (NLT) — “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
Three truths about the Key of Alignment:
1. “First” isn’t about rank — it’s sequence.
- The Greek word behind “first” is prōton — it doesn’t mean most important on a list, it means what comes before everything else.
- Matthew 6:33 (NLT) — “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else… and he will give you everything you need.”
2. What you seek first exposes what you actually trust.
- Whatever your heart leans toward when things get hard is the thing you are actually seeking first.
- Proverbs 4:23 (NLT) — “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
3. Striving replaces God’s provision.
- God’s reward doesn’t start with your effort — it starts when your heart aligns with him.
- Psalm 37:4-5 (NLT) — “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.”
INSPIRATION: Where Does It Start
Jesus isn’t asking you to work harder — he’s asking you to move your heart closer to his.
1. You don’t need to earn your way.
- Jesus wants to remove the exhausting math of trying to earn what he already wants to give.
- James 4:8 (NLT) — “Come close to God, and God will come close to you… purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.”
2. Divided loyalty isn’t condemnation — it’s a diagnosis.
- Naming the root problem is what lets God start the treatment.
- James 4:8 (NLT) — “Your loyalty is divided between God and the world.”
MOTIVATION: What Holds Us Back
Obstacle 1: “Someone has to handle the practical stuff.”
- Seeking first isn’t neglecting your needs — it’s what actually secures them.
- Philippians 4:19 (NLT) — “This same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”
Obstacle 2: “I’ve prayed and didn’t get an answer.”
- God responds in his way and his time — not ours — and he promises to be found by those who keep seeking.
- Jeremiah 29:13 (NLT) — “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.”
TRANSFORMATION: Kingdom Application
THREE CALLS TO ACTION:
- Today — spend a few minutes just seeking his presence, no asking yet.
- Daily — Before checking your phone or your to-do list, seek him first, even for two minutes.
- This month — Tell someone what God is doing in your life.
Following Jesus, Sent On A Mission
The Community
August 16, 2026
OPENING
Matthew 16:19 (NLT) — “I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of heaven.”
INFORMATION: The Key of Proximity
Matthew 6:9-10 (NLT) — “Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”
Three things about the Key of Proximity:
1. Earth isn’t a category — it’s your ground.
- When Jesus said “on earth,” he meant the specific ground you’re standing on right now.
- Exodus 3:5 (NLT) — “Do not come any closer,” the Lord warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.”
2. God put you where you are on purpose.
- Your home, your job, your school — none of it is an accident. It’s an assignment.
- Acts 17:26-27 (NLT) — “He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries… though he is not far from any one of us.”
3. Stewarding where you are qualifies you for more.
- You can’t skip being faithful in the small on your way to the large — the little is the training ground.
- Luke 16:10 (NLT) — “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.”
INSPIRATION: The Ground You Are On
The mission field isn’t somewhere far away — it’s exactly where you’re standing right now.
1. You’re not waiting on “someday.”
- The ground you’re on matters now — your job, your school, your everyday life.
- Colossians 3:23-24 (NLT) — “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people… the Master you are serving is Christ.”
2. It brings clarity to the ordinary.
- Once you understand the Key of Proximity, you notice the people around you differently — coworkers, neighbors, classmates.
- Acts 17:27 (NLT) — “He is not far from any one of us.”
MOTIVATION: Overcoming Obstacles
Obstacle 1: “I’m not sure God can actually use me.”
- God uses ordinary people in ordinary places for extraordinary work — it starts with noticing where you’re planted.
- 1 Corinthians 1:27 (NLT) — “God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise.”
Obstacle 2: “I’m waiting for the right moment.”
- How you steward the small things isn’t a delay — it’s the preparation.
- Zechariah 4:10 (NLT) — “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.”
TRANSFORMATION: Stewarding Well
THREE CALLS TO ACTION:
- Today — Identify one specific area of your life you haven’t recognized as somewhere God is at work, and pray over it by name.
- Daily — Ask each morning: “God, what do you want to do in the places you send me today?”
- This month — Tell one person what God is doing in your life.
Following Jesus, Sent On A Mission
The Community
August 9, 2026
OPENING: Where Belonging Actually Starts
John 20:21 (NLT) — “As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”
INFORMATION: Walls That Divide Us
1 Peter 2:4-10 (NLT) — “You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple… And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests… But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”
Three lies that keep us from belonging:
1. “I can follow Jesus just fine on my own.”
- Following Jesus was never designed to be a solo project — you were built to fit with others.
- Ephesians 4:16 (NLT) — “He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”
2. “I don’t need anybody in my business.”
- Self-sufficiency feels like strength, but it’s really just a slower way of staying stuck.
- 1 John 1:7 (NLT) — “If we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.”
3. “I’ll connect once I’ve got my life more together.”
- You don’t earn a seat at this table — you already have one.
- 1 Peter 2:9-10 (NLT) — “He called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light… now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”
INSPIRATION: The Table Was Always Set
1. The Father is already running toward you.
- If you’ve been waiting for an invitation, this is it.
- Luke 15:20 (NLT) — “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. He ran to meet his son, embraced him, and kissed him.”
2. Somebody you know is waiting on that same response.
- You might be the only person close enough to give it to them.
MOTIVATION: What Holds Us Back From Inviting Others
Obstacle 1: “I don’t have time for one more thing.”
- Inviting someone doesn’t add to your list — it just refocuses the time you already have.
- Ephesians 4:16 (NLT) — “He makes the whole body fit together perfectly.”
Obstacle 2: “I wouldn’t know what to say, and what if they say no?”
- You’re not responsible for their response — only for the invitation.
- 1 Corinthians 3:6 (NLT) — “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.”
TRANSFORMATION: Who We Are
TRANSFORMATION: Who We Are
Our mission: To reach our communities locally and globally with the message of freedom and fullness found in Christ.
Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT) — “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Our vision: As the Community of Believers, we are committed to gathering, growing, and going while being built up in love, as each person does their part.
Ephesians 4:16 (NLT) — “He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”
It’s all summarized in one statement: as believers, we are each called to be…
Following Jesus, Sent On A Mission
THREE CALLS TO ACTION:
- Immediate — Decide to show up this fall. Invite someone to join you on the journey.
- Weekly — Join a Kingdom Living small group this fall — Kingdom Relationships, Finances, or Career. Pick the one that meets you where you’re at, and bring somebody with you.
- This month — Be at the Launch Party, Wednesday, August 12. Potluck dinner, then a walk through every small group option for the fall — no pressure, just come see.
Following Jesus, Sent On A Mission
The Community
August 2, 2026
OPENING: Tearing Down the Walls
Psalm 24:1 (NLT) — “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.”
INFORMATION: Tear Down the Walls
Romans 12:4–5 (NLT) — “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.”
Four lies keeping us on the sideline:
1. “I don’t feel like I belong.”
- Belonging isn’t something you have to wait on — it’s already true, and connecting or serving is how you discover it.
- Ephesians 4:16 (NLT) — “He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”
2. “I don’t have anything to offer.”
- Every gift you have was given by grace — not earned, not achieved.
- Romans 12:6 (NLT) — “In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.”
3. “I don’t know where to start.”
- You don’t have to figure it out alone — God reveals your gifts as you follow him and show up.
- Romans 12:2 (NLT) — “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
4. “No one really cares if I’m here.”
- One matters. You matter — not as a number, but as someone the Father specifically went looking for.
- Matthew 18:12 (NLT) — “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost?”
INSPIRATION: What Kingdom Generosity Actually Looks Like
Kingdom Generosity isn’t mainly about money — it’s people believing what they have matters, and trusting Jesus to fill in the gap.
1. Your gifts came by grace, not qualification.
- Everything you need was already given to you — the question is what you’ll do with it.
- Romans 12:6 (NLT) — “In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.”
2. TC needs exactly what you have.
- There’s a gap in this body that only gets filled when you step in.
- Romans 12:5 (NLT) — “We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.”
MOTIVATION: Why We Stay on the Sideline
Obstacle 1: “I’ve been hurt by a church before.”
- That’s not what the Kingdom is about.
- I want you to know you are loved and valued.
2 Corinthians 5:20 (NLT) — “We are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, ‘Come back to God!'”
Obstacle 2: “I don’t see the need.”
- Sometimes the need is real but hasn’t been shared clearly
Colossians 3:11-14 ‘In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. ‘
TRANSFORMATION: Where to Start
THREE CALLS TO ACTION:
- Today — Declare it: “God has given me gifts. I have something this family needs.”
- Daily — Speak the truth over yourself: Romans 12:4–5 (NLT) — “We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.”
- This month — Invite someone to come back to the Father.
Following Jesus, Sent On A Mission
The Community
July 26, 2026
OPENING: What’s Actually on the Scoreboard
John 15:8 (NLT) When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.
John 15:16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.
INFORMATION: The Lies We Believe About Abundance
Matthew 6:19–23 (NLT) — “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!”
Matthew 6:31–33 (NLT) So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
Matthew 6:24–25 (NLT) “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?
Four lies keeping us stuck:
1. “Serving money is something rich people do.”
- How we view money reveals who we serve — no matter our bank balance.
- Matthew 6:21 (NLT) — “Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”
2. “If I had abundance, then I could be generous.”
- Jesus draws a direct line between a generous eye and a life full of light.
- Matthew 6:22–23 (NLT) — “Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body… if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!”
3. “I’m generous in my heart.”
- Jesus never said the heart leads the treasure — he said the treasure leads the heart.
- Matthew 6:24 (NLT) — “No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”
4. “When I have more, I’ll do better.”
- Stability we build on our own has to be sustained on our own — that’s not faith in Jesus.
- Matthew 6:33 (NLT) — “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
INSPIRATION: What Kingdom Abundance Actually Looks Like
The people living in real abundance aren’t the ones with the most — they’re the ones with open hands.
1. Abundance is a heart position, not a bank balance.
- Open hands give. Open hands receive. Closed hands can do neither.
- Luke 6:38 (NLT) — “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full — pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap.”
2. Abundance is available right now — not someday.
- The enemy’s whole plan is to trick you into scarcity when Jesus already offered you abundance.
- John 10:10 (NLT) — “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
MOTIVATION: Why We Stay Stuck in Scarcity
Obstacle 1: “I genuinely don’t have enough to give.”
- Jesus doesn’t measure the amount — he measures the heart behind it.
- Mark 12:43–44 (NLT) — “This poor widow has given more than all the others… she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”
Obstacle 2: “I’m generous — just in my own way, on my own terms.”
- Generosity isn’t based on feelings; it’s based on trusting God enough to obey him even when it’s hard.
- Galatians 6:9 (NLT) — “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”
TRANSFORMATION: Where Kingdom Abundance Starts
THREE CALLS TO ACTION:
- Today — Write down the lie you’ve been believing, and write Ephesians 1:4 right next to it: “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us.” Read it every morning — not as a feeling, as truth.
- Daily — Speak it out loud: “God loves me and he chose me.”
- This month — Invite someone to join us in this series.
Following Jesus, Sent On A Mission
The Community
